I stepped out. I jumped on the 1. My 62 dollar, 31 day-pass expired.

I paid 5 for a day pass. Five dollars is  still cheaper than paying for parking. I would visit Kroger soon for my 62 dollar Month COTA pass.

GZA from the Wu-Tang Clan’s concert existed within a short jaunt from my residence. At first discovery of the Wu, if people asked who my favorite Wu-Tang Clan member. I would say, GZA or RZA. In an online quiz, those would be the intellectual Wu members. I don’t have a Wu Favorite anymore. I like everyone in Wu-Tang Clan.

GZA was opening for Sublime with Rome. I’d looked at Sublime’s setlist. Sublime wasn’t playing the only Sublime song I know, KRS-1. During KRS-1,  Sublime details Boogie Down Bronx’s KRS-1 teaching them about Elijah Muhammad, and our countries’ economic disparities.  I hadn’t heard this song until last year. Sublime’s KRS-1 was an epiphany for me.

I wondered if pretty white girls were interested in my knowledge of Ancient Moorish Science – because Sublime’s song KRS-1. Almost every lady I’ve fucked resulted from a conversation involving Marcus Garvey, Malachi York, Malcolm X, Clarance 13X, Black Panthers or Louis Farrakhan. Until I heard KRS-1 by Sublime. I thought teenage years spent laughing at Paul Mooney created pleasure for a funny boner which worked with Chappelle’s America. I don’t make fun of Garveyite religions. Honest conversation about conscious rap lyrics is just funny, and smart.

I contemplated if I should bring a Final Call and chat up women after the GZA played. I didn’t. I saw it might rain. I didn’t wanna ruin an issue of Final Call. I wore my Public Enemy shirt. I assumed women wanted a seductive conversation about 85ers, 10 percenters, and 5 percenters. Nation of Islam, and the Nation of Gods and Earth teach. 85 percent of the population are uninformed and exploited. 10 percent are exploitive and dishonest. 5 percent of the population are those who are honest, freedom teachers. This math works with radical leftists.

In 2024, I believe in the Michael Moorish Science. The United States of American is a leftist country. A majority of America’s population believe in freedom, justice, and equality. People oppose racism. People smoke weed. People know humans live in the environment which needs environmentalism. People are pro-choice. People want affordable health care. People support labor unions. People want an economy which sustains human existence. If you look at the Democrats popular vote margins since 1992. I find power in Michael Moorish Science.

I understand Ancient Moorish Science is a black power idea which was needed because of extreme oppression. I won’t ever write or say “Michael Moorish Science” again. I’m explaining we could elect a woman Asiatic-Black president whose ideas are consistent with the majority of our country.

The 1 dropped me off near the Arena District. I walked down into Kemba Live. GZA’s show was outdoors. 5000 people were looking at GZA’s band, Phunky Nomads. A band called Phunky Nomads took the stage.

Phunky Nomads:
Ramsey Jones -  drums
Entrfied McCloud - keyboards
Djibril Toure - bassist
PhearNone - Violin
Phunky Nomads are GZA’s backing band

We heard Wu-Tang instrumentals complete with the violin. A bold Shogun Assassin introduction led into – GZA took the concert stage performing “Dual of the Iron Mic.” If you like Hip Hop, then GZA’s Liquid Swords is a classic among classics.

I listened to Illmatic this weekend. I debated if I considered Liquid Swords’ Illmatic’s equal.

GZA rapped Gold, Living in the World Today, Cold World, Labels, 4th Chamber, and Shadowboxin with vocal clarity combined with charisma. GZA had me hooting, and hollering like I’d just tagged, after a dimepiece wrote down her digits. GZA rapped an underrated song, Publicity. Publicity follows Label’s use of namedropping famous entities while creating commentary regarding the current state of culture.  Publicity isn’t from Liquid Swords so people haven’t heard it as much but Publicity uses the same lyrical attributes as Labels. Publicity created a crease which then lead into Wu Tang’s Clan in the Front.

F-R-E-S-H….We were now witnessing a legendary emcee rap I Gotcha Back. I GOTCHA Back originally appeared on the 1994 Art Film soundtrack for FRESH. If yr looking for Hip Hop classics the FRESH soundtrack included Wu with Grandmaster Flash + Furious 5, Cold Crush, Spoonie G, Flash w Furious 4, Whoudini, Fresh 3 MC’s, Fearless Four, Funky Four + 1 more, and other legends. Cold Crush, Spoonie G, Flash and other preceded Whoudini who all existed years as old school legends which gave the Wu group image a Hip Hop context.

GZA continued with Hip Hop classics.
Killah Hills 10304.
Guillotine
Reunited

Playing Wu-Tang’s Reunited segued into a beginning of an Old Dirty Bastard tribute sequence.I’m singing along with Shimmy Shimmy YA.

THEN.

When I was little... my father was famous.
He was the greatest  in the empire;
And he was the shogun's decapitator.
He cut off the heads of a hundred and thirty-one lords.
It was a bad time for the empire.
The shogun just stayed inside his castle -- and he never came out.
People said his brain was infected by devils.
My father would come home -- he would forget about the killings.
He wasn't scared of the shogun, but the shogun was scared of him.
Maybe that was the problem.
Then, one night... the shogun sent his ninja spies to our house.
They were supposed to kill my father... but they didn't.
That was the night everything changed *voice fades*

GZA’s LIQUID SWORDS single. I’m waving call and responses for each line.

Energy is felt once the cards are dealt
With the impact of roundhouse kicks from black belts                                                                                                                

GZA then dropped Wu-Tang’s critique of capitalism which acknowledges the importance money in personal empowerment. CREAM. Hip Hop culture’s celebration continued the momentum with B.I.G’s Juicy/Biz Markie’s Just A Friend/ OLD DIRTY BASTARD’s Got Your Money and Brooklyn Zoo. GZA ended the Columbus set with Wu Tang’s Triumph.

I looked at the weather, it was about to rain. I walked toward the COTA. I ran into William Berry who owned experimental ambient noise label Ameyest Sunset outside the Sublime show. We were there because Sublime liked KRS-1. Sublime liked KRS-1’s political and spiritual message. Sublime liked the GZA for the same reasons they like KRS-1. RIP Bradley Nowell. I realized pretty girls fucked me because Hip Hop culture is interesting – politics, spirituality and comedy. I can’t say Sublime was why women are aroused. We were outside Sublime because Sublime respected KRS-1’s lyricism. While Wu and KRS-1 recommend people create their lives without relying on others including politicians.

Republicans wanna eliminate the Department of Education because they know that 85 number shrank at the voting booth during Obama. Wu Tang did support Obama. While I apologize for typing Michael Moorish Science. The majority of American’s elected a black president from a unifying understanding. Ancient Moorish Science might understand Barack, and Kamala as power.